STATE HOUSE, ENTEBBE — Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja reportedly became emotional during a meeting between President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and Members of Parliament from the Bunyoro sub-region at State House on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, after revealing that she had not had a direct meeting with the President for about six months.
The emotional moment came as President Museveni engaged the legislators on key development priorities and challenges affecting Bunyoro, with MPs seeking to put the concerns of their constituents directly before the President.
According to sources familiar with the meeting, Nabbanja expressed frustration over the prolonged period without a direct engagement with the President and reportedly broke down as she spoke about the situation.
The revelation reportedly caught some MPs by surprise. Given Nabbanja’s position as Prime Minister and one of the senior government leaders from Bunyoro, some legislators had expected her to have regular access to the President and play a central role in advancing the region’s priorities at the highest level of government.
Sources further indicated that Nabbanja took control of portions of the discussion, limiting the opportunity for some MPs to directly present their concerns to the President.
The meeting nevertheless brought several unresolved issues affecting Bunyoro into focus, including the long-standing demand for a public university in the sub-region and other development priorities that leaders say require greater attention.
Some MPs reportedly questioned why key issues affecting their constituents have continued to linger despite Bunyoro having senior political figures serving in influential positions within government.
Nabbanja’s reported revelation that she had not met the President for about six months added another dimension to the discussion, with some MPs reportedly surprised that even the Prime Minister appeared to have limited direct engagement with the Head of State.
The meeting has also renewed discussion within political circles about the President’s working relationship with leaders from Bunyoro. Some sources claim that President Museveni has in recent months maintained closer engagements with the Minister of Works, Hon. Fred Byamukama, a development that has generated political speculation given that both Byamukama and Nabbanja come from Kakumiro.
Claims of personal or political differences between the two leaders, however, remain unverified and should be treated as political speculation rather than established fact.
Despite the emotional exchanges and concerns raised during the meeting, the engagement reportedly ended on a constructive note, with President Museveni urging the MPs to return to their constituencies and continue working for the people they represent.
The President’s message was that legislators should remain focused on their constituents and continue working to address the challenges facing their communities.
For the Bunyoro MPs, however, the meeting also provided a rare opportunity to place the region’s concerns before the President, while highlighting questions about how effectively those priorities are being followed up within government.
The demand for a public university, alongside concerns over infrastructure, education and service delivery, remains among the issues regional leaders want addressed.
The meeting ended with MPs being tasked to return to the grassroots and continue serving their constituents, but the emotional moment involving the Prime Minister and the concerns raised during the engagement have left fresh questions about access to the President, coordination among Bunyoro’s leaders and the pace at which the region’s outstanding priorities are being handled.
